This is a Simply Shade Outdoor Umbrella Review & a giveaway of a Lowe’s gift card for the value of the umbrella at time of posting ($198) – jaden

Simply Shade Outdoor Umbrella Review

My backyard is south-facing, which means in the afternoon, the sun shines direct and hot! This

Simply Shade Red Offset Pre-lit 11-ft Auto-tilt Octagon Patio Umbrella with Black Aluminum Frame and Base

a from Lowe’s is currently on sale at half-price for $198.00. It’s a great deal.

Here’s why I love it:

Offset (Cantilever) Umbrella

The Simply Shade umbrella is an offset or cantilever umbrella, with the ability to tilt and point the umbrella to the exact spot you want. This gives you much more flexibility on your patio space.

Included Base

When I was shopping for an outdoor umbrella, I noticed that the bases for the umbrellas were sold separately, often costing $80 or more for a heavy base. Don’t skimp on the base – in high winds, a heavy, large base will keep your umbrella from toppling.

This Simply Shade umbrella came with a base. You have to fill the base with sand and water.

Filling it was a PAIN IN THE ASS.

We bought four 50-pound bags of sand.

It took us about an hour just to fill the base (and both of us ended up with backaches). But…the good news is that this umbrella is not going anywhere. It’s freaking heavy! 

No, you can’t just fill the base with water. It’s just not heavy enough to stabilize the umbrella with just water.

Easy to Operate

There’s a large crank that opens/closes the umbrella. Here’s the umbrella open with one extreme end of the tilt.

  

If you want to adjust the tilt, you can operate the mechanism with one hand. 

And the umbrella will tilt to cover. 

 

The Simply Shade Outdoor Umbrella that I reviewed is on sale at Lowe’s – the red color is $198, the tan is $298. Regular price is $398, so that’s a significant savings. 

Lowe’s Gift Card Giveaway

So, I probably can’t ship you an umbrella…but I am giving away a $198 Lowe’s gift card to one winner!